Why is the U.S. so much less progressive in its approach to public policy than other wealthy countries?  A lot of social scientists have tried to crack that nut over the years, one of which is our esteemed host, Jake!  In part 1, Jake takes Alan and Joe through the public opinion puzzles of America's relative conservatism and some of the leading theories others have proposed to explain it.  Stay tuned for part 2, where the gang will delve into Jake's own work on Americans' views on justice and desert...deservingness...deservitude...deservosity.  

Bower-Bir, J. S. (2021). Earning our place, more or less: responsibility’s flexible relationship with desert in socioeconomic standing. Economia Politica, 38(1), 131-170

Bower-Bir, J. S. (2014). What we deserve: The moral origins of economic inequality and our policy responses to it (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University).